Thanks to Dr Jon White for his interesting talk on the future of communication practice: some 50+ communicators participated in the event. The study on the future of public relations and corporate communications’ mentioned by Dr White can be found here (pdf).

Lunchtime seminar – The future of public relations and corporate communications’ practice

Today, thousands of people work in the communications field. What will the profession look like in the future? What role will communicators play in business, government and society? Our guest speaker, Dr Jon White, will provide an overview of the future of public relations and corporate communications’ practice based on a recent study he led in the UK for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). More information on the CIPR PR2020 study (pdf)>>

Speaker: Dr Jon White is a consultant specialising in management and organisation development, public affairs and PR management. He holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and has written extensively in public affairs, public relations and corporate communications. He is visiting professor for the MA in media and communications at the International University in Geneva.

Places are limited due to the venue size, so please register early for the event.

Thanks to the 50+ persons who attended our lunchtime seminar last Friday on “successful strategies and current trends in advocacy”. The two speakers Lutz Meyer and Christophe Lécureuil of LEIDAR gave an excellent overview of advocacy and the challenges faced.

A few photos of the event can be seen on the left-hand side of this page.

Lunchtime seminar – Successful strategies and current trends in advocacy

Undertaken by individuals or organizations, advocacy aim to influence public-policy and resource allocation within political, economic and social circles. In a highly competitive environment to get air space, advocacy has now become a central function within private sector companies, NGOs and international institutions. Lutz Meyer and Christophe Lécureuil from LEIDAR will take you through advocacy strategies and techniques that result in successful outcomes, but also reflect on current trends.

Many thanks to Jonathan Leighton for his thought provoking presentation at our recent GCN lunch and thank you to the participants who joined in the discussion. Jonathan presented some interesting perspectives on the critical role of values and codes of conduct in today’s PR and communications environment. More information about Jonathan and his recently published book can be found on his website: http://www.thebattleforcompassion.com.

A few photos have been uploaded to the GCN flickr account and can be seen on our photostream on the left of the screen.

For those who are interested in receiving a copy of the presentation, please send us an email or contact Jonathan directly on: jonl@sunrise.ch.

Lunchtime seminar – Ethics and PR: the role of values in a changing world

With the explosion of information, the competition for attention has never been greater. Companies and organisations are under pressure to vaunt their successes and can be tempted to oversell and distort the truth. In this presentation, Jonathan Leighton will discuss the critical role today of values and codes of conduct in PR and communications.

Fee: CHF 15.- per person includes drinks and snacks – payable at the door.

Jonathan Leighton is a writer and independent communications consultant. Trained as a molecular biologist, Jonathan worked several years in the fragrance industry in various research and management functions. He has worked for a wide variety of clients and carried out European media relations for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Jonathan recently published his first book, The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe, a philosophical exploration of the basis of ethics and strategies for effective impact.

Places are limited due to the venue size, so please register early for the event.

Although the requirements for communication in litigation cases are no different from the rules of effective crisis management – the art of balancing these with the special parameters of legal strategy is a delicate one. What are the opportunities and pitfalls? When can problems become opportunities or the best verbal defence fail? Interspersed with examples from a litigation case study Marion Starck will explore the rudiments and challenges of successful Litigation PR.

Fee: CHF 15.- per person includes drinks and snacks – payable at the door.

Marion Starck has spent the past 20 years in leading functions in the Public Relations industry, both in-house and in communications agencies in London and Zurich. She has been President of the Swiss Public Relations Institute (SPRI) since November 2006. Marion Starck is Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in London and SPRG, lecturer at Zurich Business School (HWZ) and MAZ, guest lecturer at SPRI and the University of Lugano and a regular speaker, moderator and workshop leader at events in Switzerland and Europe. She is an American citizen, speaks fluent English, German and French and has been a Swiss resident since 1993.

Places are limited due to the venue size, so please register early for the event.

Many thanks to our panel and the 80+ participants at our lunchtime seminar yesterday on media relations. To keep our with our panel, you can follow Frank Jordans of AP through Twitter: @wirereporter. You can learn more about social media and journalism on the blog of Gillian Rogers. You can follow the work of the ICRC (organisation of our speaker Florian Westphal) on Twitter: @icrc_english.

Please note that our next lunchtime seminar is now sold out – we have record number of registrations and cannot fit more people into our venue – thanks for your understanding and see you at our next event!